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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: bat · leaves · suit · deal · lean · scale · squash · bass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — low music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bat — the animal

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