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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
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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: stock · scale · mine · bass · cap · cabinet · file · wave

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a document
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stock — shares
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — a soup base

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