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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — to keep track
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bass — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — clothes
  24. track — a song

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