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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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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 · cue · hide · cell · squash · stick · swing · toast

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — the sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — a phone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cue — a hint
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — in biology
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. scale — for weighing

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