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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — a company
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — a gift
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — there
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a document
  24. temple — side of the head

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