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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: mate · squash · mouse · suit · stock · scale · cap · cabinet

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — to breed
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — shares
  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