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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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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 · toast · stem · swing · spell · drill · sharp · pitcher

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — to play on
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. file — a document
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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