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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: pass · suit · scale · cap · squash · game · leaves · mug

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — size or range
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mug — to rob
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. game — a match
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — in music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mug — a cup

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