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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — tied together
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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