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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with 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. spell — a short time
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a document
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — completely
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — a country
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — the time now
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. file — a tool
  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