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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. toast — bread
  3. file — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — for sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. file — a line of people

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