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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.

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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — in a race
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — a hole
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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