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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — soda
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a music group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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