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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: ball · coach · branch · ground · file · mate · toast · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. file — a document
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a great time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mate — to breed
  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