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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: fan · mouse · mark · firm · ball · file · land · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. file — a tool

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