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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — a group
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fine — all right
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for golf
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hand — help

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