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

Word bank: bowl · ruler · cell · deal · file · mouse

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. file — a tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a document
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cell — in biology

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