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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: march · squash · lie · board · ball · scale · pass · dip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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 — size or range
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. march — the month
  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