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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a document
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bark — to shout
  6. file — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — certain
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. land — a country
  24. bound — obliged

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