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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ground — the earth
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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