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

Word bank: fine · rest · file · bat · jam · pound · arm · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cap — a hat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. file — a document
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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