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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — an aim
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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