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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fine — all right
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — in music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — money

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