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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. file — a document
  3. fork — in a road
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — rain
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bass — low music
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — a stick
  24. leaves — of a tree

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