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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stock — goods
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — a soup base

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