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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a signal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bass — low music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. firm — steady
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — the fish
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — of the year

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