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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. club — a group
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — a hint
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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