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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: scale · band · racket · suit · can · kid · cabinet · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kid — child
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  24. stem — a stem cell

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