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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: wake · fine · mouse · pop · stick · bat · season · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. scale — in music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. season — of the year
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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