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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. swing — in golf
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. field — farmland
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — in cards

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