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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: fine · dip · file · march · bear · cap · ball · bass

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a great time
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. march — the month
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — low music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. march — music
  22. file — a document
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a dance

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