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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 116 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: pass · bowl · clip · fine · shower · racket · ground · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with 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. ground — crushed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — rain
  14. file — a document
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — a position
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. clip — for paper

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