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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: file · stick · game · root · bay · fine · nail · mine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. file — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — for digging
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — a horse colour

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