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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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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: stem · bay · tear · pass · court · perch · scale · squash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. court — for sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — to crush
  24. perch — for a bird

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