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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 116 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: can · fine · hide · wound · scale · mate · pit · game

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — to breed

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