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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: snap · pass · scale · ball · squash · dip · land · content

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — a country
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — to come down
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — happy
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — to crush
  22. content — the amount
  23. snap — to click
  24. land — ground

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