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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — of a king
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — a short time
  12. file — a tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of law
  16. root — the cause
  17. ball — a dance
  18. court — for sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. root — of a word

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