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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 · squash · field · bank · row · dip · ball · ruler

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. field — a subject
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — for sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a dance
  15. file — a document
  16. row — a line
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a line of people
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. field — farmland
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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