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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — to tease
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a document
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. current — electric
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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