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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — for dancing
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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