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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: foot · game · file · track · arm · dip · bowl · pitcher

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — a measure
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — to sink
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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