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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 116 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 · can · cell · kick · track · face · pit · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — part of the head
  7. scale — size or range
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cell — a phone
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a path
  19. can — to be able to
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to confront
  23. cell — in biology
  24. face — to point toward

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