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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: squash · suit · stem · row · racket · scale · saw · board

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. scale — size or range
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — to crush
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — to come from
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. scale — in music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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