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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: bowl · season · rest · spring · scale · firm · fine · chip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — the season
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bowl — a dish

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