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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. file — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — all right
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. file — a document
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. net — after costs
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — to come from

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