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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: mouse · squash · rock · fork · spell · mug · file · track

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — a song
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a document
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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