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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: last · face · jam · mouse · scale · bowl · wake · sharp

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — finally
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. scale — size or range
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. jam — a tight spot

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