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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. clip — for paper
  3. file — a tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. court — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a document
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. court — of a king
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. firm — steady
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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