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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — the cause
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — of a plant
  9. file — a tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a document
  17. field — for sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — a subject
  21. root — of a word
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  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