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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.

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: mine · swing · stick · mouse · hide · cue · squash · scale

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. swing — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — in music

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