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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bound — certain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — in sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. foot — a measure

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