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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — in sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. swing — music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — a company
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — to come from
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. net — after costs
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — for catching

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