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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — tied together
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — 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