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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — a song
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a path
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. field — farmland
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a tree

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