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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. shower — rain
  17. file — a line of people
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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