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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. file — a line of people
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  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