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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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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 · suit · mouse · ground · land · degree · bear · spell

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. ground — a position
  6. spell — letters
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. land — to come down
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spell — magic
  16. land — a country
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — to fit

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