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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a tool
  7. court — of law
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a city
  13. branch — a division
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of a king
  24. capital — money

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