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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — to grow
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cue — a signal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fork — to eat with

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