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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a music group
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. band — a ring
  16. rest — a break
  17. pound — a weight
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. file — a tool

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