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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — to tease
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — music
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. file — a line of people

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