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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
468
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: nail · foot · net · mouse · file · saw · pound · squash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a line of people
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a document
  19. pound — a weight
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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