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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — letters
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. file — a document
  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