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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: cell · stock · pitcher · wake · fall · scale · lie · bay

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — the season
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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