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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bass — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — final
  12. object — to protest
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — finally
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — music

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