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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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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: arm · shower · firm · mug · bowl · file · track · root

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. firm — steady
  9. file — a line of people
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — a path
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mug — a face
  21. root — of a plant
  22. file — a tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. firm — decided

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