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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — of water
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spring — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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