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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
468
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: bowl · wake · wave · scale · foot · chair · wound · pitcher

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. 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. chair — a professorship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — in music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. 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