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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. file — a document
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — of ice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — of a river

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