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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — of the year
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — a position
  21. fine — all right
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — to fit

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