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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — a thing
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in biology

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