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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.

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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. roll — a list
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a cake
  13. face — to confront
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — all right
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ground — the earth

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