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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.

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: spring · pound · content · scale · rock · foot · bowl · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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