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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
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: net · rash · squash · cell · pop · scale · hand · mug

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — a phone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. hand — help
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — size or range

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