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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. court — of law
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. file — a document
  8. track — a song
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. court — of a king
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — to protest
  24. straw — a straw man

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