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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: cap · file · saw · present · mate · pound · object · key

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — in music
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. present — the time now
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — there
  17. cap — a lid
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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