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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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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: file · drill · court · pound · mouse · staff · swing · pitcher

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. swing — music
  4. file — a document
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — of a king
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — army training
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. court — of law
  22. swing — to play on
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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