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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
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 · bowl · foot · cap · land · chair · drill · stock

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — shares
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — a country
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a football final

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