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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: stem · firm · foot · racket · hand · scale · wind · content

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — the amount
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — in cards
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. content — happy
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — help
  22. firm — a company
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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