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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
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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 · row · bass · can · hide · mine · track

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — to paddle
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a song
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a line
  16. season — of the year
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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