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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · dip · tear · bowl · stock · file · present · craft

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. craft — a skill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — boats
  10. file — a document
  11. present — there
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — to rip
  15. swing — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — a gift

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