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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
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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: racket · craft · saw · ground · wind · mark · file · dip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — the earth
  24. dip — to dunk

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