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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. file — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pass — a permit
  12. file — a document
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stock — goods
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wound — an injury

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