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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. row — a line
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. row — to paddle
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — for sport
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — a subject
  21. charge — a price
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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