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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — a contest

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