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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · firm · rush · racket · jam · file · mate · spell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spell — a short time
  12. firm — decided
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. firm — a company
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — magic
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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