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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — for catching
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. file — a document
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — in sport

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