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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a hat
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a committee
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wave — with your hand

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