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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.

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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. file — a document
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — boats
  9. suit — to fit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — a song
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — to keep track
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. drill — a practice

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