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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — a city
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rush — hurry
  24. season — in 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