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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — in music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — there
  5. court — of law
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. court — of a king
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — a hole
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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