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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. file — a line of people
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kid — child

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