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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: pitcher · ball · kid · file · leaves · jam · roll · deal

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. file — a line of people
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. roll — a cake
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — to tease
  24. file — a document

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