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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a tool
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — a committee
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — in golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — clever
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. field — farmland

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