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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: deal · spring · season · chair · squash · scale · calf · sharp

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spring — the season
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chair — a leader
  21. sharp — clever
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spring — of water
  24. season — of the year

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