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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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468
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 · ground · cap · fork · rock · leaves · row · chair

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ground — crushed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a line
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cap — of ice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — music

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