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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · cabinet · press · bear · fine · file · ground · racket

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fine — high quality
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — a position

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