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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: mate · vault · board · scale · foot · land · season · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — ground
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. land — a country
  18. season — in sport
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — music

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