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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: mug · bound · stem · dip · land · season · scale · calf

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bound — certain
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — to rob
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — of the year
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — a country
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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