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

Word bank: scale · bear · kick · mark · suit · wind · cap · jam

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — in football
  20. cap — of ice
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. scale — size or range

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