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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. file — a line of people
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — a sauce

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