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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — a weight
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. suit — to fit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — to cut
  24. file — a tool

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