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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: land · foot · lie · racket · bass · season · fall · scale

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. land — ground
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — low music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — a country
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — a measure
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — to come down

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