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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — of a plant
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — the time now
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — the tool

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