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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 · mug · sharp · foot · fine · dip · bat · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fine — high quality
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — all right
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. file — a tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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