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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — for sport
  4. club — a group
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — to tire
  12. file — a document
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — a tool

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