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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — in sport
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. land — a country
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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