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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · wax · bowl · scale · suit · pitch · season · safe

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — in music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wax — to grow
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — in sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — completely
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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