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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: bound · mouse · scale · lash · deal · field

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — certain
  8. deal — to handle
  9. scale — in music
  10. field — a subject
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. field — farmland
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bound — obliged

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