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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — a company
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — letters
  17. pop — to visit
  18. march — the month
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — music
  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