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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.

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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: content · fall · coach · current · pit · scale · stock · stand

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. current — happening now
  6. content — happy
  7. fall — the season
  8. scale — in music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stock — shares
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — size or range

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