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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. file — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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