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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: file · court · calf · deal · mouse · lean · fine · scale

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a document
  7. court — for sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — all right
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — size or range

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