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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. scale — size or range
  4. present — a gift
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. scale — in music
  7. season — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. present — there
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. present — the time now
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mate — to breed
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a friend

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