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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a path
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — to visit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — soda
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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