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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — humankind
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — a contest
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. file — a tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. file — a line of people
  22. race — the arms race
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — a partner

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