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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
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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: calf · mate · sharp · chair · season · rock

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — a friend

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