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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · kid · scale · firm · squash · roll · cue · mouse

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — child
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a signal
  22. roll — a list
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — to tease

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