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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: roll · file · degree · row · rest · suit · fork · bat

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. file — a document
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bat — the animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — a line
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. roll — a cake

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