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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. file — a line of people
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. scale — size or range
  5. file — a document
  6. net — in sport
  7. scale — in music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. roll — a list
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. roll — a cake
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wave — with your hand

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