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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: lean · scale · season · mate · ball · land · kick · saw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a great time
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lean — thin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. land — ground

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