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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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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: cue · bank · squash · mate · charge · scale · rest · bear

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a hint
  3. scale — in music
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — a break
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — of a river
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bank — for money

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