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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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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: stem · toast · bowl · scale · ball · pass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — a permit
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a great time
  15. toast — bread
  16. scale — in music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ball — a round shape

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