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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: rest · rock · scale · pitcher · season · wind · content · bear

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. content — happy
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — to put up with

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