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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · tear · shower · scale · last · jam · mouse · swing

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — final
  3. swing — in golf
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. scale — size or range
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — rain
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — to go on
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — music
  18. last — finally
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mouse — the animal

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