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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. file — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. chair — a leader
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. file — a document
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — with a leg

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