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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: bulb · stem · object · mark · bank · scale · fine · hand

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — high quality
  3. scale — in music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. object — to protest
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — an aim
  19. hand — help
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bulb — 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