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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. foot — a measure
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a tool

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