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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 116 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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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: spring · scale · club · face · stand · stem · mate · bass

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — a coil
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. club — for golf
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bass — low music
  20. scale — in music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. club — a group

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