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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.

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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: deal · bore · mouse · swing · bowl · scale · last · saw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. last — final
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — music
  24. last — to go on

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