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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fork — in a road
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — a position
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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