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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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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: suit · pop · band · scale · calf · season · last · hand

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. last — finally
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. last — to go on
  17. hand — help
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — final
  23. band — a ring
  24. pop — soda

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