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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: cap · lash · firm · land · cell · season · scale · bowl

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. scale — in music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — steady
  9. season — of the year
  10. land — ground
  11. season — in sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cell — in biology
  17. firm — decided
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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