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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. last — to go on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — in cards
  13. row — a line
  14. file — a tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a document
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — final

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