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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: cap · pop · lie · scale · wake · stock · race · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pop — soda
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — a soup base

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