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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 · nail · pop · scale · face · present · game · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — a gift
  3. game — wild animals
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. face — to point toward
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — to visit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a match
  23. season — of the year
  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