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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — a grade
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kid — child
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — in music
  16. file — a tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — to tease
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a friend

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