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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: jam · squash · key · mouse · rush · scale · hand · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rush — a thrill

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