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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. degree — an amount
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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