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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: scale · track · snap · stand · bowl · spring · sharp · ball

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to click
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — size or range
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — of water
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a great time

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