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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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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: scale · stock · face · pop · straw · leaves · object · mark

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stock — shares
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — to visit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pop — soda
  24. scale — for weighing

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