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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. file — a document
  7. present — a gift
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — the most important part
  11. net — after costs
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. key — in music
  15. net — in sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — there
  24. net — for catching

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