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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: fork · squash · scale · racket · saw · file · bank · pitch

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. file — a document
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. scale — in music
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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