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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. scale — size or range
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. file — a tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — all right
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a trace

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