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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: season · scale · pop · court · can · pit · suit · lie

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. court — of a king
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pop — soda
  13. court — of law
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — in a race
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — to fit
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lie — to recline
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — an untruth
  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