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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. firm — a company
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — steady

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