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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — a country
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — ground
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — soda
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a professorship

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