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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — for betting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — to eat
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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