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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — of the year
  3. hand — in cards
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — a leader
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. field — farmland
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. field — a subject
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — in sport

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