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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · racket · deal · present · pit · wind

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. present — there
  12. file — a document
  13. deal — to handle
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now

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