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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. ground — crushed

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