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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to click
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a ring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — in golf

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