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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: dip · ball · rash · racket · stem · file · jam · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. file — a document
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rash — a series
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a line of people

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