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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: deal · bass · scale · stem · shower · foot · toast · roll

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — low music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. toast — bread
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — rain
  21. foot — a measure
  22. shower — to wash
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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