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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: file · squash · bass · spring · arm · fork · toast · capital

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — the fish
  5. capital — money
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. capital — a city
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spring — of water
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. toast — bread
  22. spring — the season
  23. bass — low music
  24. arm — part of the body

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