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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. net — in sport
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — after costs
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — to roll

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