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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: season · scale · club · stem · wake · plane · spring · mate

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. spring — the season
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spring — of water
  11. mate — a friend
  12. club — a group
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — of the year
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — size or range

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