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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.

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: scale · mug · root · hand · racket · mate · file · mine

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — the cause
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mug — a face
  17. root — of a word
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mug — to rob
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. file — a document

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