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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: mark · fine · chest · squash · bat · bowl · pitcher · file

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. chest — a box
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mark — a trace
  23. file — a document
  24. fine — all right

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