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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — clothes
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — a friend
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. clip — a video
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. clip — to cut

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