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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.

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: pit · roll · foot · cell · field · wave · can · scale

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. field — for sport
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. roll — a list
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — size or range
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cell — in biology
  23. roll — a cake
  24. foot — the bottom

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