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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — to crush
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chest — a box
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a song
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bay — a horse colour

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