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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: fine · saw · mouse · ball · shower · degree · file · race

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — high quality
  11. file — a document
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fine — all right
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. degree — an amount
  18. file — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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