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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 120 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: field · arm · cell · squash · cold · suit · fine · scale

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cell — a phone
  8. field — for sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — the sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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