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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a document
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. toast — bread
  14. march — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. file — a tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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