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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: cap · wake · deal · patient · squash · scale · bass · content

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — the amount
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — happy
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. deal — to handle
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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