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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · band · lie · roll · cue · file · net · row

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. row — a line
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a music group
  11. file — a tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. file — a document
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. file — a line of people
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. roll — a list
  21. cue — for pool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — a hint

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