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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. scale — in music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mug — a cup
  18. scale — size or range
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — a face
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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