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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: mine · ball · mark · foot · rush · cell · file · charge

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cell — in biology
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — a price
  24. foot — 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