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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. land — a country
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — low music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — child
  17. file — a line of people
  18. land — to come down
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. root — of a word
  21. key — for a lock
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. file — a tool

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