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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — newspapers
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kid — child
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kid — to tease
  24. staff — employees

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