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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · can · foot · stick · season · firm · rash · cold

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — hasty
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rash — a series
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — in sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — a company
  20. scale — in music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. cold — not warm
  24. foot — a measure

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