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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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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: saw · straw · deal · fall · net · stem · fork · scale

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — to come from

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