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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: mouse · spell · track · bore · tube · bowl · scale · race

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — the arms race
  6. tube — a container
  7. race — humankind
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — a contest
  24. bore — to drill

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