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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. chair — a leader
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rock — music
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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