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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. stand — to bear
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a document
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a hint

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