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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · mine · root · season · key · scale · deal · swing

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — of the year
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — in sport

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