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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.

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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: pass · scale · firm · stand · fall · field · chest · root

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — a company
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. field — farmland
  23. scale — in music
  24. fall — the season

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