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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: scale · race · cap · staff · mate · mouse · fork · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cap — of ice
  7. race — humankind
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. staff — employees

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