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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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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: foot · scale · board · cell · spell · pound · chest · mate

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — a committee
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — to hit hard

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