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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rule — government
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a document
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — a law
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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