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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: bat · scale · can · stand · fork · ground · face · drill

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. scale — in music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — size or range
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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