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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — a group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — to protest
  13. firm — decided
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — a company

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