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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 124 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a document
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — there
  24. ground — the earth

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