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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.

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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: bowl · scale · bound · pitcher · squash · craft · mouse · race

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — obliged
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. race — humankind
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  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