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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. row — a line
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — a signal

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