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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · scale · wake · foot · season · chair · toast · prune

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — size or range
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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