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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
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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: scale · squash · cap · pop · season · mine · board · date

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. season — of the year
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — for digging
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — to get on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — in music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. board — a committee
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — a flat piece

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