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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — to push
  12. drill — army training
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — bread
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bound — obliged
  20. drill — the tool
  21. file — a tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. file — a line of people

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