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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. file — a tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. fall — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pound — a weight
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stock — goods
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — to handle
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a document
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — to protest
  24. pound — to hit hard

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