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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: pitcher · squash · game · file · band · bear · spell · mug

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. file — a line of people
  7. squash — to crush
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a cup
  24. game — a match

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