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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 120 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
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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: fine · leaves · stand · squash · pass · scale · clip · game

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. clip — a video
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fine — high quality
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fine — all right
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. game — a kind of play

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