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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: rash · suit · game · dip · ball · bank · row · file

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a dance

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