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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pit — a hole
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a line of people

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