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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: foot · season · toast · court · wake · scale · bore · lean

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — to tire
  3. season — in sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lean — to bend
  14. scale — size or range
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. court — of a king
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. court — for sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. court — of law
  24. scale — in music

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