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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. object — an aim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spell — letters
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — to move gently

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