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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — a signal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — of law
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. file — a tool

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