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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 116 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: scale · dip · mug · squash · board · face · content · pit

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. content — happy
  15. mug — a face
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — to sink
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. squash — to crush
  22. scale — in music
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — to rob

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