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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. clip — to cut
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a document
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. key — the most important part

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