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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: spell · scale · cold · stand · net · tube · can · ground

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. net — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — magic
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cold — an illness
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. net — for catching
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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