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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — a stem cell

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