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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: date · stand · mug · kid · scale · rock · bulb · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — in music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — a stone
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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