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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a document
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a great time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — in a race
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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