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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. file — a document
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ground — a position
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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