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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bound — obliged
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a document
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — tied together

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