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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: pitcher · fan · scale · foot · rock · season · file · snap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a document
  15. season — of the year
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. file — a line of people
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a tool
  24. snap — to click

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