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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. file — a document
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — clothes
  14. can — to be able to
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — after costs
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. file — a tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. tear — from crying

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