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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 116 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: spring · sharp · scale · rock · game · dip · mouse · mark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. game — a match
  3. scale — size or range
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spring — a coil
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — clever
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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