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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.

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: ball · bank · fan · squash · game · sharp · fall · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a great time

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