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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. foot — part of the body

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