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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: cell · bowl · pit · scale · bound · foot · sharp · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in biology
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — a dish

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