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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — for sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — of a tree

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