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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.

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: file · scale · ball · mouse · hand · game · firm · pitcher

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a document
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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