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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. file — a tool
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — shares
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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