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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.

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: season · track · rock · can · trunk · game · race · scale

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — a song
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — in sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a path
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of a car

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