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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ball — a dance
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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