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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: rash · firm · field · fine · file · bear · mouse · drill

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — army training
  10. field — farmland
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — for sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. file — a document
  24. firm — a company

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