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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.

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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: scale · spell · swing · arm · season · foot · court · suit

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — a measure
  3. scale — in music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — for sport
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. season — of the year
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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