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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. file — a document
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — goods
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — for golf

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