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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: shower · jam · mouse · suit · mark · track · game · scale

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — wild animals
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mark — a trace
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. scale — in music
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. track — to keep track
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — a grade
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — a path
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. track — a song

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