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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — the season
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — thin
  24. club — for dancing

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