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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — finally
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — to go on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — 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