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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: saw · kid · bowl · key · date · file · arm · ball

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a document
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — in music
  7. kid — to tease
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — the most important part
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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