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

Word bank: row · saw · cue · sharp · firm · season · scale · jam

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. firm — steady
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — a company
  9. season — in sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — in music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a line
  22. cue — a signal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — the tool

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