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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — in sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — in golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spring — the season
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spring — of water
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ball — a great time

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