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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — to play on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. file — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. swing — music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tube — in a tire

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