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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · current · stand · perch · cap · wound · field

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — to bear
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — a subject
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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