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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. scale — in music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. file — a document
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a song
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. land — ground
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — a friend
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — a country

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