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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. firm — steady
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to click
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. file — a line of people
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — farmland
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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