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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — army training
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — the tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kick — in football
  18. file — a document
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — a soup base

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