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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. file — a document
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. file — a tool
  14. present — there
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. track — a path
  18. present — the time now
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a song
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — an agreement

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