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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — for catching
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — in sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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