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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to sink
  24. scale — size or range

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