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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. swing — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wind — moving air
  9. file — a document
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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