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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — magic
  12. roll — a list
  13. scale — in music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — letters
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. roll — a cake
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spell — a short time

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