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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mug — a face
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. stock — shares
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — a penalty

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