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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: file · last · firm · prune · sharp · rash · deal · pitch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. firm — a company
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — to go on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — completely
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — clever
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — decided
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — a big deal

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