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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mark — a grade
  4. charge — in control
  5. stock — goods
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — a price
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bank — for money
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — boats
  24. file — a document

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