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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. row — a line
  3. drill — a practice
  4. object — a thing
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. file — a tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — an aim
  17. mate — a friend
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. file — a document
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. bowl — to roll

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