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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. clip — for paper
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. staff — employees
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a tool
  13. land — a country
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — to fit
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — all right

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