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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · leaves · rock · land · stem · charge · bay · root

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — in control
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — a price
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — to come from
  24. leaves — of a tree

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