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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: rest · deal · rash · jam · squash · file · bowl · field

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — a break
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a document
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — for sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. field — a subject
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. file — a tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. squash — to crush

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