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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — the sport
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. club — for dancing
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. club — a group
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a grade
  20. squash — to crush
  21. march — the month
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — a penalty

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