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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: scale · squash · cell · object · mark · rock · track · season

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. season — of the year
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — a path
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. object — a thing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rock — 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