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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — in golf
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — farmland
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — for sport

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