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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: saw · scale · can · ground · date · stand · stem · swing

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — to be able to
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — music
  24. ground — a position

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