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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. dip — to sink

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