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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. file — a document
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. track — a song
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chip — for betting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitch — completely
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. file — a tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. track — to keep track
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a line of people

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