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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.

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
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. last — finally
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. last — to go on
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. last — final
  24. squash — the vegetable

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