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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — newspapers
  10. march — the month
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — of the year
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — to push
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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