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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 120 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: game · rash · mouse · net · scale · deal · wave · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rash — a series
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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