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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — to bear
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kid — child
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a line of people
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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