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

Word bank: dip · scale · stand · rule · pit · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. scale — size or range

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