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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · mug · clip · mark · file · staff · march

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. clip — a video
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — to rob
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a grade
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — a face
  15. file — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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