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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — happy
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a cup
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — goods
  20. file — a document
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stock — a soup base

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