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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. row — a line
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — for pool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rash — a series
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — a signal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a list
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — hasty

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