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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — all right
  5. file — a tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — government
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. file — a document
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — after costs
  24. stand — on your feet

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