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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · file · pop · bass · game · cabinet · wound · net

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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