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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a face
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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