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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: pit · bass · object · fine · file · spring · rush · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — all right
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — of water
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a document
  13. object — a thing
  14. file — a tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. object — to protest

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