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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — shares
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. rule — government
  13. race — humankind
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — a law
  20. file — a document
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  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