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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 116 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: sharp · scale · mug · squash · ruler · mouse · board · present

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — the time now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — with an edge

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