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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
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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: roll · net · cap · fall · scale · staff · pit · stem

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — the season
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. net — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cap — a hat
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. net — after costs
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — in music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — to come from

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