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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. spell — magic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — for tennis

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