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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: scale · leaves · bass · fall · squash · club · content · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. club — for golf
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — the amount
  10. squash — the sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for dancing
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — a group
  17. fall — to drop
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bass — low music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — the vegetable

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