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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 120 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: track · bowl · content · stem · sharp · scale · leaves · arm

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stem — to come from
  13. scale — in music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — happy
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — part of the body

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