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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. band — a ring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitch — completely
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a rubber band

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