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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: coach · last · scale · game · safe · sharp · season · nail

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — final
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — in music
  9. season — of the year
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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