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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · bowl · mug · saw · net · mouse · kid · file

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — child
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a face
  21. net — for catching
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — to tease

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