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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a line of people
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — animal skin

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