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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · bank · mate · spell · pitch · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mate — to breed
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. row — a line
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bank — for money

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