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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.

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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: bat · mark · squash · staff · scale · spring · suit · pass

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. scale — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spring — of water
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — for baseball

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