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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — for catching
  8. mate — a friend
  9. firm — steady
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — a path
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — in sport
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. track — a song
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — after costs
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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