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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
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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: stock · present · race · march · date · dip · foot · tube

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. march — the month
  3. date — the fruit
  4. present — there
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. march — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — a contest
  9. stock — shares
  10. present — the time now
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — goods
  17. tube — a container
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — to sink
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — the arms race

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