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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a document
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. club — a group
  11. rock — music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. court — of a king
  14. staff — a stick
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — employees
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — a country
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. land — ground
  23. club — for golf
  24. staff — employees

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