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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — a trace
  3. degree — from a university
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. swing — in golf
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — a safe
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mark — a grade
  19. file — a line of people
  20. swing — music
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — to handle
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — hurry

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