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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bass — the fish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. file — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — shares

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