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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — humankind
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. date — the fruit
  23. file — a document
  24. race — the arms race

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