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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: bay · file · degree · squash · pitcher · mark · chest · tube

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. file — a document
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tube — a container
  24. chest — a box

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