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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: scale · court · fine · bulb · stem · sharp · arm · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — in music
  15. lean — thin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. sharp — clever
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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