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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — all right
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — happy
  17. file — a document
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for dancing

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