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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.

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: season · last · firm · bass · wound · scale · field · object

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. scale — size or range
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — finally
  10. season — in sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — an aim
  15. field — for sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — final
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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