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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: bound · bowl · file · object · field · fan · bat · bay

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — to protest
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — an aim
  16. file — a document
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bat — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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