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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: object · swing · ball · season · mug · fine · field · scale

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — to rob
  3. scale — in music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — of the year
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — a cup
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — an aim
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a dance
  22. object — a thing
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — for weighing

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