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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — wild animals
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. key — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a dance

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