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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. degree — from a university
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ground — the earth
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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