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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stock — shares
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — goods
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — to get on
  15. swing — music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — a friend

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