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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. track — a song
  13. scale — size or range
  14. file — a document
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chip — to eat

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