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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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