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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — a permit
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — a soup base

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