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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 120 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — in golf
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — completely
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — for a computer

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