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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. land — to come down
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — low music
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. file — a document
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — in music

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