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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — in sport
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bat — the animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fan — a supporter

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