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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bass — low music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — help
  24. file — a line of people

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