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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: land · pit · rash · pitcher · scale · wave · fan · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — in music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — to come down
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. land — a country
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fan — to cool the air

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