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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bat — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. object — a thing
  13. shower — to wash
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a line of people
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — rain
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the sport

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