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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a song
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pop — soda
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chair — a professorship

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