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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: bear · pop · cabinet · stick · cell · rest · scale · saw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — a break
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pop — soda
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rest — what's left
  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