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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — a country
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitch — completely
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. file — a document
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — music

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