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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · net · row · scale · mouse · wound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — in sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — after costs
  12. row — a line
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob

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