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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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468
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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — all right
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fork — in a road
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — to eat with

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