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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: scale · bowl · racket · saw · mouse · clip · toast · cap

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — a lid
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. toast — bread

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