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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: pit · scale · temple · arm · staff · can · season · wake

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — of the year
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. season — in sport
  7. can — to be able to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — a hole
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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