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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a document
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — a hint
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. file — a tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — in music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a line of people
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cue — for pool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rock — a stone

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