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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · march · object · tube · stock · bowl · cabinet · mate

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com