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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. file — a tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — in cards

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