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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: squash · ball · cue · pitch · row · ruler · scale · face

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. face — to confront
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — a line
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — size or range
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. squash — to crush

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