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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — farmland
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. content — happy
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — of a river
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — the amount
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — videos and posts

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