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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a document
  4. mug — a face
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. row — a line
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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