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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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — to visit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — an aim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. file — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — a thing

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