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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: mate · bound · squash · scale · bay · drill · ball · snap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — army training
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bound — certain
  24. ball — a great time

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