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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — in music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — the sport
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — in sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — after costs
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — goods
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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