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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: mug · can · file · object · field · squash · bass · face

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bass — low music
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — part of the head
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — a cup
  20. object — a thing
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. squash — to crush

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