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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: cap · present · scale · staff · lean · ground · pop · sharp

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — to visit
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — size or range
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — a lid
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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