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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: club · file · root · mouse · hand · squash · band · spell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a document
  7. band — a ring
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — letters
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — help
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — for golf
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — the vegetable

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