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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 116 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: scale · net · file · shower · saw · mouse

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. net — for catching

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