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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for golf
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rush — hurry
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a document
  10. firm — a company
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided
  19. stock — shares
  20. snap — to click
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — goods

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