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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — all right
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a document
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — high quality
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a city

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