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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 124 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — the cause
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a plant
  8. field — a subject
  9. track — a song
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — of a word
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stock — goods
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bass — low music

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