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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitch — completely
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — with an edge

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