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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: scale · kick · saw · bay · mouse · stem · band · chip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — in music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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