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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: land · track · scale · staff · march · wave · cap · pit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. land — a country
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — in a race
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — the month
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — in music
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  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