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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: squash · board · scale · wind · ground · pass · mug · stick

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a committee
  6. mug — a cup
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — a permit
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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