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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 116 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
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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: game · file · net · pitcher · hand · bass · spring · mark

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. file — a document
  18. spring — a coil
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — wild animals
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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