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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: season · cap · firm · field · shower · key · trunk · scale

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. scale — in music
  3. key — in music
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — in sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — a company
  15. shower — rain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. season — of the year
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. firm — decided
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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