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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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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: toast · season · row · tube · scale · staff · lean · ground

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. toast — bread
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. scale — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. ground — crushed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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