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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. plane — a tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a line of people

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