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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. drill — army training

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