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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — to sink
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. game — a match
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — after costs
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — in 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