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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stem — to come from
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. scale — in music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. court — of a king
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. roll — a cake
  19. court — for sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — of law
  23. scale — size or range
  24. roll — a list

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