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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. file — a document
  3. last — to go on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — hasty
  8. file — a tool
  9. kid — child
  10. last — final
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — finally
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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