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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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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: stem · craft · chest · march · plane · bore · scale · court

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. march — the month
  17. court — for sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. march — music
  24. bore — to drill

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