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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 120 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
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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: mark · bowl · file · track · land · club · bass · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a document
  3. club — a group
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. land — ground
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — to come down
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — a song

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