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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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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 · file · bay · ball · prune · rest · arm · fork

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — a garden tool

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