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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a document
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — letters
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — all right
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — magic
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — a weight

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