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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a document
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. land — ground
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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