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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fork — in a road
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  24. file — a line of people

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