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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a ring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mug — to rob
  8. file — a tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — the season
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — a cup

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