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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fork · band · dip · rush · net · chair · jam

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — in a road
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. file — a tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chair — a leader
  18. band — a ring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. net — in sport

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