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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: racket · file · pitcher · squash · dip · shower · mate · rock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — to wash
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — the sport
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — a stone
  24. shower — rain

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