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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: bowl · scale · lean · foot · track · dip · stick · pit

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — thin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to sink
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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