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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — a group
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. file — a line of people
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — a trace
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — to pay attention

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