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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. scale — size or range
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a match
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a document
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. current — electric
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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