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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — shares
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a dance
  15. branch — a division
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. branch — of a bank

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