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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — a position
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — crushed

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