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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — for a lock

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