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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 120 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: pit · mouse · staff · scale · cell · snap · face · stock

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. face — to confront

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