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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fine — high quality
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — bread
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fine — all right
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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