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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.

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: field · ground · scale · prune · wave · cap · straw · board

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — in music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ground — crushed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — the earth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — to get on
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — a committee
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. scale — size or range

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