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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 120 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — shares
  9. track — to keep track
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. file — a document
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — goods
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — a path
  24. can — to be able to

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