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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tear — from crying
  15. swing — in golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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