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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · root · rock · march · stick · cell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — music
  5. march — the month
  6. root — of a word
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — in music
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — the cause
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison

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