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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. file — a document
  6. last — finally
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — in a road
  11. last — final
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. last — to go on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. file — a tool

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