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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. club — for golf
  18. firm — a company
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — decided
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — shares
  24. straw — dry grass

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