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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 116 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: vault · scale · stem · pass · cell · board · straw · mouse

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — to get on
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a committee
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stem — a stem cell

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