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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. 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. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. drill — a practice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a line of people
  24. 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