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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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Word bank
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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. clip — to cut
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a document
  10. root — of a word
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — a video
  18. ball — a great time
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — for paper

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