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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stand — to bear
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a document
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — what's left

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