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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a document
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. land — a country
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — ground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. land — to come down
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — for tennis

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