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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. file — a line of people
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. content — happy
  8. file — a document
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — for pool
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a signal
  19. content — the amount
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — goods
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — videos and posts

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