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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — in music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cap — a lid
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — a video
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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