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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: mate · file · jam · bay · wake · dip · scale · fine

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — to breed
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. mate — a partner
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — high quality
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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