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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — the season
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spring — a coil
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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