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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. sharp — clever

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