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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · squash · hand · ball · present · can · fork · scale

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a great time
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a dance
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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