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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — in music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. leaves — to go away

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