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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — moving air
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — to get on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — a trace

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