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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: scale · rule · wake · stem · capital · game · season · hide

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — a match
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — money
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rule — a law
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. capital — a city

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