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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fine — all right
  20. swing — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a tool

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