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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — farmland
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. file — a document
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. file — a line of people
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — a subject
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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