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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. charge — a price
  10. spell — a short time
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — magic
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a line of people

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