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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 120 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: scale · mark · firm · clip · leaves · racket · season · deal

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — a company
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — steady
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. clip — for paper
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. clip — to cut
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. firm — decided
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — size or range
  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