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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a document
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — ministers

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