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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
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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 · net · pitcher · leaves · calf · mark · fan · saw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. file — a line of people
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a document
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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