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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a document
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — government
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — completely
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — hasty
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. field — for sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fine — all right
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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