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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — an aim
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — rain
  7. file — a tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. pass — a permit
  13. firm — decided
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — in a road
  22. firm — a company
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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