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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spring — of water
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a dance
  21. craft — a skill
  22. object — an aim
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — hasty

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