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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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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 · arm · bear · racket · bass · dip · cap · drill

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — the tool
  6. file — a document
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to sink

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