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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. track — a path
  21. net — in sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a song

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