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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — final
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — for betting
  24. last — finally

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