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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: rock · file · net · mouse · bat · ball · dip · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bat — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. net — after costs
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. net — in sport

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