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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a document
  7. pit — a hole
  8. file — a tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — part of the head
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. scale — in music
  15. board — a committee
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stock — shares
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — in a race
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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