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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: pitcher · scale · pop · lie · last · season · wave · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. season — of the year
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. scale — in music
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — soda
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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