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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.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · spring · mark · bank · file · pitch · can · chest

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. file — a document

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