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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — to protest
  4. scale — size or range
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — certain
  10. file — a line of people
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — in music
  24. file — a 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