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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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