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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. file — a document
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — low music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. craft — boats
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. row — to paddle

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