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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 · root · degree · face · cap · stick · field · cue

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — of ice
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cue — a hint
  11. scale — in music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cap — a lid
  15. face — part of the head
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cap — a hat

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