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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: squash · bowl · mouse · pitcher · tear · chest · key · scale

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — to crush

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