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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: perch · scale · season · swing · bass · bear · cap · chest

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — of ice
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chest — of your body

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