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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. file — a document
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. file — a tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. content — the amount
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a partner
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — decided
  24. bowl — a football final

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