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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. date — the fruit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. file — a tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. snap — to click

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