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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: board · chest · game · swing · lash · date · scale · cue

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — size or range
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — in golf
  24. board — to get on

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