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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.

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: stem · mouse · scale · cold · game · firm · cap · mug

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cap — of ice
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. game — wild animals
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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