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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · scale · rock · hand · cap · stock · arm · spell

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — letters
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spell — a short time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — a friend

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