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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — to handle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — for sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — tied together
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fork — a garden tool

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