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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: fine · file · pit · bank · racket · mouse · last · spell

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pit — a hole
  17. last — final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — in a race
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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