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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: tube · scale · last · craft · foot · present · stem · perch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — final
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — in music
  11. present — there
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — finally
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a skill
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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