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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a song
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. file — a document
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — to grow
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. current — of water
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — to keep track
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. arm — part of the body

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