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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. file — a line of people
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — completely
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. current — of water
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. toast — bread

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