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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — army training
  16. file — a document
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. key — the most important part
  19. object — an aim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. object — to protest
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitch — completely

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