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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · stem · root · content · hand · mouse · season · scale

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. scale — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. season — of the year
  17. content — the amount
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — a stem cell

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