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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: rule · leaves · stem · scale · field · toast · ground · cap

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. toast — bread
  5. ground — crushed
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — a subject
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. scale — size or range
  15. field — farmland
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — in music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ground — a position
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rule — government

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