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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: wind · date · ball · rule · rash · field · object · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — for sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — a subject
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — farmland
  18. file — a document
  19. rash — a series
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a round shape

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