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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a document
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fork — in a road
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stock — goods
  24. stand — for spectators

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