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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a music group
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — music
  24. band — a ring

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