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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a document
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — to keep track
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — clothes
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — a signal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cue — a hint

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