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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 124 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: key · mine · stock · game · cap · tube · pit · foot

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. pit — in a race
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — of ice
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — a measure

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