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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 116 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: can · ball · fork · rash · net · mate · file · wind

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a document
  3. net — in sport
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fork — in a road
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a partner
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rash — a series

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