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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. court — of a king
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — a hat
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — for sport

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