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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: mouse · scale · file · bank · dip · swing · jam · net

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a document
  4. dip — to sink
  5. file — a line of people
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. scale — in music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — size or range
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — in sport
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — in traffic

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