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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: bowl · cell · mug · rash · pitcher · racket · file · ball

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a cup
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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