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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rest — a break
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — in geometry

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