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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: scale · stand · wave · face · fork · deal · pitcher · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. scale — in music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to confront
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — for weighing
  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