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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: court · stem · chip · bear · wave · mine · scale · foot

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — for sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — a measure
  5. court — of law
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. scale — size or range
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. court — of a king
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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