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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.

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: rash · root · squash · bear · saw · stem · fine · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — of a word
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. saw — the tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — the cause

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