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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — in football
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a trace

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