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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: dip · ground · pitcher · mouse · squash · bowl · file · deal

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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