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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. file — a tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — soda
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cap — of ice

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