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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bass — low music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. content — the amount
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — a supporter

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