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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: spell · deal · cue · game · season · chest · scale · object

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — magic
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — letters
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chest — a box
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — a match
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — to protest
  24. deal — an agreement

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