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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — to play on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a skill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. file — a line of people
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. swing — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — a stone

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