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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. roll — a list
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. degree — an amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a city
  24. can — to be able to

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