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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: file · mouse · pound · pit · capital · mug · bank · mark

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a document
  16. capital — money
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a line of people

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