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

Word bank: last · toast · scale · rule · stem · mate

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a friend
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — bread
  8. stem — to come from
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. last — final
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — to go on
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — finally

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