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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: bat · wound · scale · cap · face · bowl · rash · rock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — a stone
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — hasty

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