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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · arm · scale · spell · sharp · perch · racket · file

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a document
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. file — a tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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