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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 · cap · field · craft · track · tear · firm · row

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. track — to keep track
  3. row — to paddle
  4. track — a path
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a song
  7. tear — to rip
  8. firm — decided
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — size or range
  12. row — a line
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. tear — from crying
  19. craft — boats
  20. cap — a hat
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a handicraft

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