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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: bay · present · game · bowl · stem · scale · file · drill

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. file — a document
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — in music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. drill — army training
  15. game — wild animals
  16. file — a line of people
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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