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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a line of people
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. file — a document
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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