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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — a break
  16. charge — a price
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a line of people
  21. charge — in control
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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