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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: club · mouse · file · stem · fan · pop · scale · chair

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — for golf
  4. scale — size or range
  5. file — a tool
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. file — a document
  24. fan — a supporter

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