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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. present — the time now
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — there
  11. swing — to play on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — a gift
  19. bat — the animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — for measuring

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