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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stock — goods
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a friend
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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