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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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Word bank
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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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