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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
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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: clip · file · mark · firm · mug · present · pit · ball

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. 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. file — a tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — a hole
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — in a race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. clip — to cut
  17. present — there
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. clip — for paper
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — a video
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — to rob
  24. 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