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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a document
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. file — a line of people
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — of the year
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. racket — a loud noise

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