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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — in sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. file — a tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. toast — bread
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. row — a line
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. net — for catching
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — on a finger

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