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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: scale · lean · club · rock · land · season · ground · face

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. club — for golf
  3. season — in sport
  4. club — a group
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. face — to point toward
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — thin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — to confront
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — crushed

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