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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — a series
  16. snap — to click
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. scale — in music
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — size or range

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