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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 116 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: wake · scale · ground · season · sharp · safe · ball · craft

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a great time
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — in music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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