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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. swing — music
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — a tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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