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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. file — a line of people
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. net — after costs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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