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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. file — a tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. face — to confront
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a document

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