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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. date — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. racket — for tennis

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