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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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 line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a line
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — to paddle
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a document
  22. stock — goods
  23. can — a tin
  24. object — an aim

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