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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: squash · scale · mark · stem · net · perch · press · chair

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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 — a stem cell
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a leader
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — in sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stem — to come from
  17. net — for catching
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. net — after costs
  23. press — to push
  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