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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: rush · saw · cap · racket · bank · season · fan · scale

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — size or range

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