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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.

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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: mouse · pit · chest · file · pop · suit · scale · bound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chest — of your body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — certain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — a hole

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