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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: wound · spring · rash · rest · mate · season · pitcher · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spring — of water
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — a series
  24. season — of the year

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