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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
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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: scale · hide · wound · mine · bowl · mark · stand · stick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mine — for digging
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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