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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · wind · fine · season · scale · trunk

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. season — of the year
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. season — in sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wind — moving air

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