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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.

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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: fall · scale · fine · ground · track · mark · hide · calf

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — high quality
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. track — a path
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ground — the earth
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a trace

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