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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 120 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: scale · tube · coach · sharp · lean · foot · season · bowl

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — in music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. sharp — clever
  24. season — of the year

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