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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 · spell · cue · pop · coach · stem

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — soda
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cue — for pool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. stem — to come from

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