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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a document
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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