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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: wake · shower · stem · ball · bat · stand · board · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stem — to come from
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. board — a committee
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stem — of a plant

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