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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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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: season · wake · pitcher · leaves · scale · dip · march · swing

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — size or range
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. march — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — to play on

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