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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — shares
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a document
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — hurry
  15. key — in music
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — a soup base

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