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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: content · ball · chair · scale · bay · stem · toast · bound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bound — tied together
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bound — obliged
  24. scale — in music

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