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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: pitcher · ball · file · scale · rush · root · saw · deal

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a great time

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