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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a document
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — in cards
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — to protest

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