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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: present · last · scale · season · date · wave · pop · calf

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — to visit
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. present — there
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — soda
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — the time now
  20. last — final
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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