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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. file — a tool
  3. key — in music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — music
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kick — in football
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — magic
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. file — a document

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