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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: season · bore · foot · lean · fine · degree · scale · safe

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. scale — in music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — a measure
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. season — of the year
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. degree — from a university

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