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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: file · bulb · stand · ground · rest · scale · field · race

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ground — a position
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — size or range
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — in music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. file — a line of people
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. race — humankind
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. field — farmland
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — what's left

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