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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: perch · fine · roll · content · squash · scale · board · dip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — all right
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — a committee
  9. roll — a list
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. roll — a cake
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. squash — the sport
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — high quality

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