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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: mouse · rush · ball · cap · fork · pit · scale · chest

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — for a computer

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