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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a document
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitch — completely
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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