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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — a group
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. land — a country
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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