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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 · capital · stand · face · pass · lash · field · fork

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to point toward
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — a permit
  15. scale — in music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. capital — money
  24. field — farmland

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