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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: scale · cap · lean · bass · season · chip · roll · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a list
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. scale — in music
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lean — thin
  21. spring — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. season — of the year

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