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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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