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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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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: file · scale · squash · season · hand · pass · dip · bulb

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — help
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. season — of the year
  18. hand — in cards
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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