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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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468
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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. present — there
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. toast — bread
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wake — a trail
  24. file — a document

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