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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: chair · face · scale · pop · stock · safe · ground · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — goods
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — to confront
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. face — part of the head
  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