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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stock — goods

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