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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · perch · saw · field · scale · bay · rock · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — for catching
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. scale — size or range
  24. field — a subject

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