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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. file — a line of people
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — steady
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — a company
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. chair — a leader
  24. firm — decided

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