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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — to trim
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. current — of water
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — shares
  7. squash — the sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. racket — for tennis

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