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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rush — hurry
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. file — a line of people
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to click
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. track — a path
  24. jam — in traffic

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