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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — the time now
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — all right
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. club — for golf
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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