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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. object — to protest
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. object — an aim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — letters
  19. court — of a king
  20. spell — magic
  21. cue — a signal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — a thing

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