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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. roll — a list
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chest — a box
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — to tease
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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