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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — part of the body

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