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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — for sport

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