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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: can · pitcher · field · file · tear · stick · arm · swing

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a line of people
  10. field — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — to be able to
  24. arm — a part of something

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