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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. file — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bass — the instrument
  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