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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — a price
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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