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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: dip · game · branch · scale · lie · bowl · squash · rock

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. game — a match
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. branch — a division
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — the sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bowl — to roll

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