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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bank — of a river

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