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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 120 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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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: ruler · scale · dip · stick · field · pass · stand · cap

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — farmland
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — a permit
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — to succeed

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