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

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mark — a trace
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — a position
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a document

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