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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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