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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 116 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: saw · rush · file · club · spell · ground · game · sharp

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — a group
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ground — crushed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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