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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. date — the fruit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. file — a tool
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rest — what's left
  17. clip — to cut
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a document
  24. rest — a break

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