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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · safe · band · hand · dip · racket · stem · bear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — in music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hand — help
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — size or range

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