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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
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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: scale · bark · cap · cell · staff · track · land · saw

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — of ice
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — a phone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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