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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: fine · leaves · game · scale · wound · season · staff · bulb

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — of the year
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — employees
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — a match
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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