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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: file · ball · rush · capital · pitcher · fine · snap · bowl

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. file — a tool
  10. snap — to click
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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