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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — on your feet

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