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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — there
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — a price
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bowl — to roll

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