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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a list
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — a thing
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. can — a tin

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