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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a document
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — music
  21. file — a tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — for weighing

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