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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — certain
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. present — there
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — a list
  11. season — in sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — a weight
  18. object — an aim
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — the time now
  22. scale — size or range
  23. object — a thing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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