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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — a price
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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