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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.

Words on the sheet
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: scale · cap · mate · rock · chest · mine · season · swing

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — music
  8. chest — a box
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — in sport
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. season — of the year
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — in golf

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