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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: cabinet · mark · club · stand · wake · mate · scale · firm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — in music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — ministers

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