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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · scale · wake · foot · season · chair

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. scale — in music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader

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