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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.

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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 · scale · saw · coach · field · cell · ruler · bay

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — for sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ruler — for measuring

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