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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. craft — boats
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pop — soda

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