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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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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — all right
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — for sport
  12. file — a document
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — a jug

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